Category: Social Policy and Society

When Delayed Retirement Meets Low Fertility: Rethinking Demographic Policy in China

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Grandfather and young child watering plants together outdoors in a garden or greenhouse setting.

This blog post is based on an article published in Social Policy and Society by Jiayi Ma, Yazhen Yang and Yu Ding. Across ageing societies, governments are increasingly attempting to address two demographic challenges at the same time: extending working lives and encouraging higher fertility. In practice, however, these two goals may not always align.… Continue reading When Delayed Retirement Meets Low Fertility: Rethinking Demographic Policy in China

Tinkering at the margins: why Labour’s parental leave reforms don’t currently deliver for families or the economy

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Mother working on a laptop at home while caring for a baby, illustrating the challenges of balancing paid work and childcare.

This blog post is based on an article published in Social Policy and Society by Anna Tarrant, Linzi Ladlow, Alison Koslowski, Harriet Churchill, Naomi Finch, and Patricia Hamilton. When Labour returned to government in 2024, parental leave reform sat near the top of its promises to working families. The manifesto and Labour’s Plan to Make… Continue reading Tinkering at the margins: why Labour’s parental leave reforms don’t currently deliver for families or the economy

Supporting employers to employ people with disabilities

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Three colleagues working together at a table in an office, including a man using a wheelchair, illustrating an inclusive workplace environment.

This blog post is based on an article published in Social Policy and Society by Rik van Berkel and Talieh Sadeghi. The labour-market participation of people with disabilities is much lower than that of the working-age population. In the European Union, this labour-market participation gap is about 25 percentage points. This gap is problematic, not… Continue reading Supporting employers to employ people with disabilities

Poverty is complex – should our policy responses be too? Moving beyond isolated policy solutions

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A couple sits with an advisor reviewing documents together, suggesting discussion of finances, housing or social support.

This blog post is based on an article published in Social Policy and Society by Heta Pöyliö. Poverty is a complex issue that requires expansive policy responses. In my recent study published in Social Policy and Society, I find that policies with different functions can work together to reduce the risk of poverty. Specifically, policy… Continue reading Poverty is complex – should our policy responses be too? Moving beyond isolated policy solutions

Raising the Participation Age: Participation Without Inclusion?

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Teacher supporting a student using a laptop in a classroom, with other learners working in the background.

This blog post is based on an article published in Social Policy and Society by Ben Collier. It has been 10 years since the final instalment of the Education and Skills Act’s Raising the Participation Age (RPA) Policy in England, introduced under the Education and Skills Act (Department for Education), which requires young people to… Continue reading Raising the Participation Age: Participation Without Inclusion?